Retribution
by Mythicalnightguard
Summary: Life's been hard for Jedediah since he lost Octavius, and he misses him greatly. He tries hard to forget. But when the Doctor, Amy, and Rory go missing, it's up to him to find them. But, he is faced with a difficult choice: he can save the Doctor, or bring back his friend. Can he find the courage to make the right decision?
1. Shadows

A shadowy figure walked down the gloomy corridor, sticking close to the shadows. He walked silently, barely making a sound. Up ahead, he could see his destination: the pharoah's room. It was the only way he could send his message. Quietly, he made his way to the room, and stopped in front of the Earth portal. He chanted the forbidden words, and watched the portal glow. Upon hearing voices in the other room, he willed the glowing mass to hurry. He watched an image of a room appear before his eyes. He cautiously stepped through, into the dreaming world of the unknown, as a spirit.


	2. Motel Dream

Chapter One of book three! I'm so excited about this! I don't know about you, but I'm having fun.

Anyways, enjoy!

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" Wow. " Amy said, looking around. " You sure set up Doctor. Thanks. "

" No problem. " The Doctor replied, smiling. " You two enjoy your honey moon now. "

" We will. Thank you Doctor. " Rory said.

The Doctor watched Amy and Rory walk into the hotel, and then walked across the street to a motel. Unfortunately, they didn't have enough money to rent two hotel rooms, so the Doctor decided that he would stay at the motel. At least it had a pool. The Doctor, straightening his quirky bow tie, went up to the man at the front desk.

" Hello! I'm here to check in please! " He said in a jolly tone.

" Name? " The man asked, obviously bored.

" Doctor. "

" Doctor? O...K...did you make a reservation? "

" Yes. "

" Oh. I see you. Room 203. Have a nice stay. "

" Thank you! Goodbye! "

The Doctor walked up the long flight of stairs to the fourth floor. He pulled the key out of his pocket, and flung open the door. Inside, was a small, but highly decorated room, complete with a small bed, a table and two chairs, a door leading to the washroom, and a shelf for storing luggage. The bed was soft, and the floors were carpeted. There was a window, with silken velvet curtains. Rather fancy for 25$ dollars a night. The Doctor set his suitcase down with a 'plop', and sat on the bed. Then, he carefully reached a hand into his petti coat pocket, and pulled out a tiny, sullen faced cowboy.

" There now. " He said, placing him on top of the suitcase. " This is going to be our home for a few days. Make yourself comfortable. "

Jedediah, with nothing else to do, looked around at his unfamiliar surroundings. He'd been traveling with the Doctor and the gang for a while now, and had learned many things. He'd met many life forms, learned many languages, seen many sights. In a way, he'd became wiser as the journeys progressed. But, it was wisdom that came with a price. To him, there was barely any happiness. Every time he was happy, something had to remind him about the past, burying the happiness beneath an unmovable pile of sand. His heart's ashes.

" Doctor, may I go on the floor? " He asked, voice barely audible.

" Of course. "

The Doctor gently placed the cowboy on the ground, and watched him curiously as he wandered about, walking without a purpose. It had been a long five months, and with each day Jedediah grew more sullen. At first, it was just a few hours of silence, but now, he could go a full week without saying a word. No one rarely saw him but the Doctor, and Amy had pointed out the other day that he'd lost that lively spark he used to own. He would only speak when spoken to, and would seldom make eye contact. He much preferred to be alone, staring at the ground or a blank wall. He never watched the sun rise, he never joined in the celebrations, and he never opened the curtains. If he wasn't needed, he stayed in his bedroom with the lights out, and never asked for anything. All the Doctor and his companions could really do, was try to make his sullen, miserable life comfortable. But doing that's difficult when the person your doing for doesn't want your help.

As Jedediah neared the curtains, the Doctor could feel his urge to pull them back, to finally stare into the light of the setting sun, but something held him back. Jedediah placed his hands on the soft curtains, rubbing the soft, smooth material. It felt like Octavius' cape, and it also looked like it...

" No. " He said sternly to himself. " Ya can't think about it Jed. You've gotta stop liven' in the past. What's done is done. " Just like Octavius used to say. Jedediah thought, feeling the tears come. No! No! No! Stop thinkin'!

The Doctor had heard what the miniature had said, and wanted to find a way to cheer him up. The beach was out of the question, one because he was afraid of sand, and two because it was too public. The pool was also out. As was the buffet. Maybe the lounge...no. Too many drunks. The last thing the Doctor needed was a drink.

" Jedediah...it's getting late. Why don't you get some rest. "

" Can't sleep Doctor. " Jedediah said looking up, avoiding direct eye contact.

" Well perhaps you should try. "

" Maybe. "

The Doctor scooped him up, and placed him on the bed.

" Here. You can take the bed. I don't sleep. Besides, there's this new thing I discovered called YouTube, and it's actually pretty amazing. Care to join me? "

" No thank you. I'm tired. "

" Alright. Sleep well. I'll be back shortly. I just have to check and see if they have free wi-fi. "

Jedediah heard the door close. Great. He thought. The Doctor left the light on. Sighing, Jedediah made himself comfortable. He took off his hat, boots, gloves, and other accessories. He set them aside, and looked for a warm, cozy spot to snuggle up in. He was tired, for grief striken nights were spent without sleep, and he wanted desperately to fall asleep. But he was always kept awake, no matter how hard he tried. Once, he even tried to convince Rory to knock him unconscious, just so he could catch a few hours of sleep. Of course, that didn't go over well, and now he had the Doctor's ever watchful eyes on him.

He closed his eyes, and was surprised by how instantly sleep came to him, not that it was a bad thing. For a while, it was a peaceful sleep, until things changed. Jedediah had plenty of strange dreams before, and wasn't too shocked by this one. He pictured himself walking, just walking, into a dark, damp tunnel. He was afraid, and found himself hurrying towards a light, which he assumed was the way out. But it wasn't. He cried out in shock as he ran straight through a glowing door, and fell down, down, down, into a cavernous pit. When he hit the ground, he stayed laying there for a moment, trying to control his rapid breathing, trying to figure out how he survived that.

" Jedediah? " A voice asked. A familiar voice.

Jedediah jumped to his feet, and looked around frantically.

" Octavius? " He asked with hope in his voice.

He was startled as a white ball of light slowly drifted towards him. He took a few steps back, afraid. He watched as the light became brighter, and brighter, until it got to the point where he had to look away. When he opened his eyes, he was amazed and shocked to see Octavius standing where the light had been. He was wearing his usual clothing, but had an unearthly white glow to him.

" Jedediah. " Octavius said, taking a step closer.

" Oc...t-tavius? How...your... " Jedediah was shaking. Though he was over joyed to see his friend, he was frightened by his sudden appearance.

" Please. Do not be afraid. I came to speak with you. "

" To...to speak with me?...How could you want to, after what i've done. "

Octavius walked over to his friend, who's head was bowed. He put his hand on his shoulder, but it went straight through the cowboy, much to his annoyance.

" Jedediah I do not blame you. It was not your fault. "

" Yes it... "

" Jedediah, I did not come here to discuss faults. I came to tell you of great trouble crowding your path. "

" Trouble? "

" Indeed. Much trouble lies ahead of you. "

" LIke what? "

Octavius was about to answer, but heard an angry voice from somewhere.

" I must go now. " He said urgently, turning away.

" Wait! Don't leave me! "

" I am sorry my friend. But I must go. "

" But Octavius! It hurts so bad! I miss you so much, and, and I can't stand it! Please! Take me with you! "

Jedediah could see the sadness and longing in the Roman's eyes, and wondered what was going through his head.

" Jedediah, I...trust me. You do not want to be where I am. "

" Octavius... "

" I must go now my friend. But I promise, we shall meet again. "

And with that, he disappeared. And Jedediah went back to his dreamless sleep.

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" How dare you! " Khamunrah howled in rage, his lightning whip searing the skin on the little Roman's back. It was amazing that one could still feel pain at this point. " How dare you open up my portals! Why, I should punish you harsher than this!...But I won't, because I still have use for you, puny Roman. Now rise, and go about my bidding! "

" Yes S-Sir. " Octavius said with a fearful tone. He quickly rose, and turned, speed walking out of the room.

If this was how he would spend eternity, then he'd love to die dead. If that was possible.

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I like this chapter...though it's rather cletcha, since i've seen plenty of movies and books with scenes like this. Reviews would be nice! {: )


	3. Vacation of Doom

And...here's chapter two! Been busy, but with summer vacation coming up soon, should have plenty of free time!

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Rory sat up, stretched, and yawned, the bright sun shining in his eyes. He looked at Amy's still, beautiful, sleeping face. He ran his fingers through her auburn hair, smiling as she mumbled something along the lines of ' stop it '. He couldn't believe that on this day, about seven years ago, they had been at the church, a newly wed couple, blushing in embarrassment at the Doctor's awful dancing.

" A...my...it's time to wake uhhh...up...we've got a date at the beach to attend. " Rory said in a musical tone, tapping her gently.

Amy's eyes opened, and she smiled up at Rory.

" Why, I almost forgot. " Rory said, surprise flashing across his face. " I got you a gift...these lovely red roses that match your hair, this wonderfully delicious box of truffles, and, Scent La Furr perfume. "

" Thank you Rory. And i've got a little something for you too. "

" Really? "

Amy grabbed Rory's collar, and they shared a sweet, loving kiss.

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" Shall we go now? " Rory asked after they had dressed in their swim wear.

" I think we should. "

Rory followed Amy out into the sunlight, which reflected off the sandy beach. People walked around with floating umbrellas, hovering just above their heads. Robot waiters rolled around, handing out drinks and giving massages. It was the year 2121, and the futuristic technology was all around them. Rory saw a sign that said " Free Drinks ", and turned to Amy.

" Would you care to share a drink, young lady? " He asked, bowing slightly.

" Why, that would be lovely. "

" Two martinis please. " Rory asked the waiter, a young women probably around the age of twenty.

" Coming right up. " She said in a sweet, cheerful voice.

When she handed over the drinks, Rory and Amy picked them up.

" Cheers! To many more happy years! " Rory said.

" Cheers! To the most charming and wonderful husband in all of space and time! " Amy said.

" Oh! Thanks Amy. " Rory said, their glasses clinking.

No sooner had the liquid touched their lips, they were face down on the table. The women then smiled evilly, and went about dragging them away.

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The Doctor walked innocently to the breakfast bar, rubbing his chin in concentration. He couldn't decide whether he wanted pancakes, muffins, or pretzels. Perhaps i'll get these. He thought, a plate of doughnuts catching his eye. He took a paper plate, and stacked five mini doughnuts on top. Two cinnamon, two powdered, and one chocolate, for his friend back in the room. He then poured a glass of orange juice, and set his breakfast on a table. He glanced outside.

It was a beautiful day, and the beach goers looked happy. The Doctor's attention was then suddenly drawn to a waitress carrying two body sized bags. Now that looks suspicious. The Doctor thought. As he headed towards the door to go out and investigate, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He was spun around, and faced the man behind the desk. Only, he didn't look like the man anymore. He looked...robotic. His eyes were glazed over, and his skin was shiny. His hair looked hard, and his mouth was lined in a crooked, contorted smile, an attempted friendly smile, which was rather creepy.

" Doctor. You will come with us. " It said, it's hand tightening on the Doctor's shoulder.

" I'm sorry, my good man, but I don't... " The Doctor began, but stopped short as he was shoved roughly forward onto his knees.

He could hear more footsteps, hopefully it was the authorities coming to help stop the man who appeared to have gone mad. But to the Doctor's dismay, it wasn't the police. It was more robotic looking people trudging down the stairs, tripping in through the front door, shattering the windows, it was quite horrifying. There were maids, vacationers, cooks, maintenance men, even the policemen, who were outside, suddenly turned robotic. It was like something out of a horror movie.

Then again, the Doctor thought, my life is a horror movie.

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Jedediah suddenly woke from his sleep, startled by a thump which shook the bed. He quickly bolted behind the nearest pillow, hiding. He peeked around the corner, and saw that a young lady, one of the motel maids, had dropped everything onto the bed, and was slowly trudging out of the room, moaning as she did.

This is strange. Jedediah thought.

He made his way out into the hall, and followed the woman down the stairs. What he saw made him gasp. The Doctor was unconscious on the floor, and the zombie-like people were crowding around him. That's when he noticed a person dragging two limp bodies just outside the window. Amy and Rory.

No. Jedediah thought, fear building within him. Oh...my...gosh...this can't be happening...

"Hey!" A voice said, startling him from his thoughts. He turned around to see a giant, rather plump man standing above him. "What are you doing?"

The man reached down, fat hand about to close in on the defenseless little cowboy. At the last moment, Jedediah turned and made a run for it.

"Hey! Come back here!" The man bellowed, chasing after him.

The ground shook with the man's steps, and Jedediah found himself fighting to stay upright. He suddenly heard moaning from his left, and saw three more of the strange humans running towards him. At this point, the ground shook like a 9.10 earthquake, knocking him to his knees. He struggled up again, and kept on running. For each step of the giants, Jedediah took 20, but couldn't gain any ground. He was beginning to tire, and knew he couldn't go much longer. Then, like a light at the end of a long tunnel, Jedediah spotted a small crack in the wall. He ran to it and squeezed himself through, huddling in the very back, praying he couldn't be reached.

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This chapter seems a little...apocolypsey. I don't really believe in the apocolypse, but this IS Doctor Who, so I suppose anything is possible.


	4. A Small Lie

"Come out! I know your in there!" The plump man shouted, slamming his fist against the crack.

Jedediah huddled in the very back, legs tucked against his chest, crying.

"Come out now! We've got you surrounded!"

The other three pounded against the wall, causing Jedediah to cry harder. He didn't want to die yet. Not this way. He desperately searched for a way out, but there was none.

"Use your weapon." A voice suddenly said. Jedediah looked beside him, and saw Octavius sitting mere centimeters away.

"Octavius?" He asked, forgetting about the people outside.

"Use your weapon." Octavius repeated, gesturing to the cowboy's gun.

"What good will this piece'a junk do? I bet they can't even feel pain."

"Yes they can."

Before Jedediah could reply, a hand shot forwards through the crack. He yelped in surprise, and pulled the trigger. There was a cry of shock from the outside, and then the hand retreated. Jedediah waited in silence, waiting for a sign that they were gone. Every time he gained the courage to peek, fear overwhelmed him again, and he stayed where he was, afraid. He didn't know what to do. Amy, Rory, and the Doctor were all captured, and it seemed like everyone in the city was now transformed into robotic zombie thngs, and he couldn't save them alone. He felt small, powerless, useless. All feelings which he hated.

"Oh Octavius! What do I do?" He cried out, resting his head in his hands.

"You must save them you know." Octavius pointed out, moving closer.

He'd been there the whole time, waiting to be noticed again.

"But...I can't. I'm just a miniature. I ain't no man. I couldn't even save you."

"Jedediah I thought we spoke of this already. I am not mad. It was not your fault. And, you do not have to be tall, or strong, or even smart to be a man. You just, have to be yourself."

"But I can't do this alone. It's just me V.S. the world."

"No. Jedediah I promise, you are not alone. I will be with you every step of the way. And even when I am not, I am still watching over you. I am always with you."

"Yeah but...your just...your not here and...and I want you back and...and your presence makes me long more and...and it feels like your alive...but then I realize your not. I can't do it."

Octavius knew there was only one way to convince his friend. To do it, he'd have to do something he'd promised never to do. He had to lie to him.

"You know, I found in a book in the underworld that if one commits a good deed, any wish can be granted." Octavius inwardly winced as the words came out.

"Really?" Jedediah exclaimed, looking up. "You mean I can bring ya back? To life?"

"Indeed. But first you must complete the quest."

"Well hot-dog! C'mon Ockie! We gotta job 'ta do!"

"Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Ockie? Wha...?"

"Oh, uh, thought it would be a nice code name for ya."

"Oh."

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"How much farther is this place?" Jedediah asked, watching the sun set below the city sky line.

He'd been walking for a few hours now, and much to his dismay, had only went about one and a half miles. It was slow progress, but Jedediah was determined to do everything in his power to bring back his friends, especially Octavius. Jedediah glanced beside him as he heard the tell tale little whooshing sound that alerted him of Octavius' presence.

"I am afraid I do not know. It could be miles away." Octavius replied, scanning their surroundings.

"That ain't good."

"No. It is not at all good." Then Octavius glanced at the sun. "It is getting late. You must keep your strength up. I suggest you call it a night and find somewhere safe to rest."

"Kay. G'night pardner. See ya 'morrow...and hopefully in person in a few days."

Octavius watched Jedediah walk away, heading toward a small cardboard box. He felt his heart aching, and immediately went back to the underworld so Jedediah wouldn't see. He hated having to lie to his friend. He didn't want to see his disappointment and sadness when he found out that he wouldn't come back. Couldn't come back. Sighing, Octavius made his way back into the darkness of eternity.


	5. Deal

Octavius watched from behind a large gray stone as Kahmunrah walked through a nearby tunnel. Earlier that night, while he was laboring with the many chores Kahmunrah gave him, he'd overheard him talking with someone. Normally, it wouldn't have aroused any superstition, but the voice sounded different. It didn't sound…..human. It sounded more…..robotic. Creepy. Like a….like a….well, like a robot man. But it didn't seem to make sense. What was a robot doing in this place? He knew curiosity was dangerous, but what did he have to lose?

Slowly, he crept through the entrance. Shadows played and danced around, tricking his eyes. Little swirls of light spun along the walls and the floor, swirling about him with what seemed strangely to him like a curious animal. The ceiling was stone; which wasn't surprising considering the fact that he was in a cave. But miniscule water droplets dripped from the very tips, creating little puddles which reflected the Roman's ghostly reflection. The water made musical sounds, almost like a bell. It was like a magical, mystical cavern, but it hid a terrible secret, Octavius knew.

"Have you succeeded yet?" Kahmunrah asked, crossing his arms.

"Yes. I have. The humans are all under my control." The voice replied.

"Good. Good. You remember the plan, I presume?"

"Yes, I do. I know everything, wise pharaoh. Nothing is unknown to I."

"I'm quite aware of that. Now. Remember; we have only three days. Any longer, then we may have a problem. Understood?"

"Understood, oh great and powerful Kahmunrah."

Kahmunrah smiled. "That's what I like to hear. Well. Carry on, then. I expect to speak with you in one days time to check on your progress. Remember, all of humanity."

"All of humanity is easy. All of life is a challenge."

"Yes, well, I don't care about animals. I just want the humans."

Octavius quickly ducked into the shadows as Kahmunrah turned around. He walked right by without noticing anything, and closed the stone door behind him with a flick of his wrist. Silence fell upon the place. Hesitating a moment, Octavius stepped out of his hiding place. He looked and listened, but nothing could be seen or heard. He was alone. He stepped forwards, cautiously peering out into the large cavernous room. It was pitch black, and nothing could be seen. He stepped forwards. Suddenly, a light flashed on, and bathed the room in pure white light. The Roman shielded his eyes, turning away from the dazzling light which poured into the room.

"Ah. Octavius. I've been expecting you." The strange voice said after the light dimmed.

Octavius glanced up, and was awestruck when his gaze landed on a giant globe, standing on a podium, filled with sand and dust particles which whirled around. He also noticed a few clothing articles in the mix as well, including a pair of old raggedy socks. He noticed also that there was a layer of glass surrounding the surface of the walls, and flying frantically within, the blue and green forms of people, shouting and pleading for help escaping their captivity. Nervously, Octavius gulped, and stood tall.

"You...you know me?" He asked, trying not to show his fear.

"Yes. I am the Intelligence. I know all." The Intelligence replied, light flashing about it as it spoke. "And I suppose you overheard my conversation with the Egyptian, didn't you?"

"Y-Yes. I did. And I demand to know what you two are up to." Octavius said, narrowing his eyes.

The Intelligence laughed. "And tell me, Octavius, what would one such as you want to know?"

"I wish to know why you have been kept a secret, why the good people of Earth are acting the way they are, and why these poor spirits are being held captive in your presence."

"So. You have been out of your eternity, haven't you? After what Kahmunrah told you? You are well aware of the punishment that awaits you when I tell him?"

Octavius gulped again, and stood even straighter. "Yes. I do. And I am not afraid of what he will do to me."

There was silence, and then the Intelligence spoke. "A brave remark, Roman. Just as I expected from your kind. You Romans always were inquisitive."

"This is more than mere curiosity. I seek answers to my questions. If I am to spend eternity in this place, and if I am to become the servant of such a cruel hearted and wicked barbarian as Kahmunrah, I should at least deserve to know what for."

"Tell you what," The Intelligence said after a while. "I'll make a deal with you. If you cease in your quest for answers, then I shall free you from this place."

"F-Free...me…." Octavius asked, slightly surprised. "But…..how?"

"It's simple, actually. Step closer."

Blinded by his will to go back to the world above, Octavius ignored the voice in his head, telling him not to trust the machine. But how could he refuse such an offer? Besides, it would be easier to foil the plans of the Intelligence and Kahmunrah if he could actually pick things up. After a moment of thought, he walked over, and placed his hand on the glass.

"I accept your offer." He said.

"Smart Roman. Now. Wish. Wish, and you will go home."

Octavius closed his eyes, and imagined himself at home, with his friends, free of this horrible place. he imagined himself helping Jedediah, freeing the Doctor and Amy and Rory. He imagined himself free. I wish to go home! He thought. Then, there was a rush of air, and Octavius' eyes flew open, just in time to see the shard of glass rushing at him. He ducked, and stared in horror as the whole room was torn to shreds, and he found himself trapped in the center of a raging tornado, flinging him back and forth and around and around in circles until he thought he would be sick. Finally, the whirlwind ceased, and he found himself on the ground, the sun blazing above his head. The trees swayed back and forth, rushing to and fro with the wind. There was the smell of smoke in the air, and dark clouds were rolling on the horizon, which was a reddish-orange color. He slowly rose to his feet, and reached out his hands, touching the rough bark of the tree's trunk.

"I am alive….." He said, excitement and disbelief in his voice. "I am home!"

He turned around, and his smile immediately faded when he saw what created the smoke. The museum was and fire, and the exhibits ran frantically around, each one of them suddenly turning robotic, and wandering about, destroying everything in sight. It was an image from his worst nightmares, and he ran behind the tree, watching from the distance the destruction and chaos. It was then he finally realized what had happened. The Intelligence did say he would send him home, and he was home, but not at the time he'd hoped. He was home during a time of chaos, most likely caused by the Intelligence itself. It was then he also realized, that Jedediah, whom he had made the deal in order to help him, was thousands of years away, and that he was stranded in time, in an apocalyptic world, a silent witness to the destruction of all he had ever known. He was alone now. Truly alone. And he now realized his mistake.


	6. The Intelligence

The Doctor awoke slowly, sighing as he finally regained consciousness. He fell a hard, marble floor beneath him, and also a hard wall, which he leaned against. He opened his eyes, and lept to his feet. Something was wrong. He could feel it. There was something strange about the room he was in. And as he peered closer he found that he was in a small, dark room, with metal walls, a metal floor, and a heavy metal door with only a small rectangle to peer through.

The events leading to his captivity were coming back to him; the vacation, the motel, Amy and Rory, Jedediah…..Oh no, he thought, frantically patting his pockets to see if any little cowboys had happened to get in them. The motel, he remembered. He was still alone at the motel! Worry filled the Doctor as the possibilities of the many different things that could have befallen his small friend. Perhaps he had somehow escaped unnoticed and was seeking help from some person who just might have a good heart. Then he realized there were no people. Not anymore. They were all robots or whatever. The more he thought, the more his fear for the little cowboy grew. Maybe he was now a robot zombie…..or a cyborg….or maybe they killed him….

Suddenly, there was a pounding outside the door, which startled the Doctor. He jumped backwards, then hesitantly made his way towards the door, unsure of what to expect. He cautiously peeked through the opening, and saw to his astonishment none other than Amelia Pond.

"Oh, Amy! You have no idea how great it is to see….." The Doctor began, trailing off when he noticed the unnatural sheen to her body. He took a small step back. "No...no it can't be…" To say he was shaken was an understatement.

"Doctor," Amy said, her robotic voice only adding to the Doctor's fear and growing suspicion. "You are the Doctor."

"Y-Yes, I am. And I would like to know who you are and what you are doing." He demanded, courage in his eyes and voice.

"I am the Intelligence. I am here to replace all of humanity." Was Amy's reply.

"Intelligence?" The doctor questioned, looking a little confused.

"Yes."

After a moment's pause, the Doctor spoke again. "Alright, Intelligence, leave her be and talk to me in your own form."

"I'm afraid that is impossible,"

"How so? Why do you need innocent people as your speaker?"

"Ah, Doctor. You were always a prying one."

"Wait," The Doctor muttered. He then raised his voice. "How do you know that?"

"The Intelligence knows all, sees all, hears all. If you must know, Doctor, I am a super consciousness with knowledge of all space and time."

"Good to know, I'll keep that in mind. Now why do you need her as a speaker?"

"Ah, Doctor, keeping your cool won't help you for long. I know your past, and your future. You will regret."

"You haven't answered my question," Said the Doctor, being as patient and pressing as he could without letting his anger flare. What could this Intelligence possibly know?

"Fine. I will tell you. I am a disembodied consciousness- I have no form. I have control over others, and can make copies of and reanimate the bodies."

"Is that why you speak through her? Because you have no body?"

"Yes."

"So why all humanity? What are you trying to achieve?"

"Prying, Doctor. You are desperate for answers. You are troubled. What troubles you?"

"Why would I tell you?" Asked the Doctor.

"Fair enough. You don't have to tell me you're worried for….your friends."

The Doctor paused, and for a moment was speechless. "How...how did…"

"I know all. You are afraid for your companions, Amy and Rory, and that other who I am prohibited to say. Well, they are in safe hands. Except for that specific one."

"How can they be in safe hands if you don't even have any hands!" The Doctor shot back, now losing his cool. He rammed into the door but it didn't budge."Where are they!?"

"Easy, Doctor. All in good time," Came another voice, a new voice, one that was dark and familiar. It rang in through the walls, like a speaker, the tone one of menacing laughter and malicious foreboding. Though he'd only heard it a few times, he recognized it almost immediately.

"Kahmunrah," He muttered, narrowing his eyes. "What do you want?"

"Nothing much. Just my fair chance at world domination. Which you and the others stole from me, twice."

The Doctor recalled his last meeting with the pharaoh, and the story he'd been told by the miniatures of the evil Egyptian's Smithsonian invasion. He knew Kahmunrah was nothing but trouble. "Why are you working with the Intelligence and what are you after?"

"Did you not here what I just said?" Kahmunrah asked slightly annoyed. "I want world domination. But I can't do that if the world's people….and you Time Lord creatures are always stopping me. So…..I had the Intelligence steal the consciousnesses of all the mortal humans and give them to me. So now, my kingdom is full of souls, and my new kingdom is empty and ready for me to move in. The plan is for me to have control still of the Underworld, and for the Intelligence to have control of the world above. And with the Intelligence as my ally there is nothing that can stand in my way. Except….that tiny, little, annoying cowboy."

At the mention of one of his companions the Doctor stiffened. "Leave him alone!" He demanded, anger in his eyes. "You have already taken one!" 

"Oh, I did. The Roman, oh, the poor, poor little Roman. I had to settle for the Roman, though I wanted the cowboy. So now I have the Roman to make him suffer my wrath."

The Doctor didn't answer, and held back all his pain and fear and anger. "Where is Jedediah now?"

"The cowboy? Alive. But not for long."

"Kahmunrah if you so much as lay a finger on him I'll…."

"You'll what? Stop me? How are going to do that?"

"Kahmunrah, you don't realize what you're up against. This cowboy is fierce. He is strong and will stay out of harm's way. If I know him then he'll do everything in his power to free us and bring you to your knees!"

The pharaoh yawned. "A futile attempt to scare me. Perhaps you want….." Kahmunrah's voice trailed off before he spoke again. "WHAT!? HE ESCAPED!?"

The Doctor waited to hear what was causing Kahmunrah's rage.

"Well," The Egyptian said, maintaining his posture. "Apparently the Roman has escaped."

A small smirk formed on the Time Lord's face, and he chuckled slightly. "I warned you about them."

"Fear not," Came the pharaoh's rage tainted voice. "I will catch him once more, and the cowboy as well. Once I have them….the real fun will begin."

With a wicked laugh the Egyptian's voice went silent. Amy, still under the control of the Intelligence, turned and walked away, leaving the Doctor and everything else in silence.


	7. A Song

Without to many "Spoilers," I would like to credit the song lyrics to Simon &amp; Garfunkel's song "Mrs Robinson."

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The sun shone its brilliant golden-orange rays above the tops of the buildings as it slowly rose, its light a blessing to any living thing within its reach. But, there was nothing alive in this city. The people, metal and gleaming, their faces expressionless though some had malevolent glares, trudged along at random, all following along the roads that led out of the city, and to a central gathering place which was unknown to the last living man who watched cautiously from his hiding place.

Jedediah stared out fearfully as the unliving people trudged along, waiting somewhat patiently, though his patience sprouted from fear. He yawned slightly as he gazed out onto the emptying streets. He hadn't slept well. It had been a long, sleepless night, the poor cowboy constantly awakening to the sounds of bloodcurdling robotic voices and the occasional, startling bump against the box. But what bothered him most, was the loneliness of it all. As far as he knew, he was the only living being left on earth, and the knowledge that all of humanity and any aid they could give him were gone made him lose almost all the hope he'd had. And it didn't help he hadn't heard from Octavius.

The Roman had promised to visit him as soon as the sun rose, but had yet to show himself to his friend, who desperately needed the calm, gentle reassurance he always provided in such situations. Sure, he knew it probably wasn't easy for Octavius to reach him, especially since he was obviously under some sort of demanding oppression, but he could at least send him a message or something, couldn't he?

With a sigh, Jedediah finally stepped out of the little box and onto the street. The asphalt baked his feet, the heat eating its way through his leather bottomed boots. The sun beat down upon him with as much ferocity as Larry's flashlight when he accidentally aimed it at the smaller exhibits. He stuck close to the shadows, hoping to avoid detection and try to cool down as much as possible. But even the shade was sweltering, and by the time the sun was halfway up the sky, a little before what he judged was noon, he was panting with the effort of moving forwards in the heat, and was about to give up when he heard a faint sound carried on the wind.

He paused, leaping for the nearest hiding place as he detected the sound of a human voice. But it was not robotic, or even harsh. It was a voice with a musical tone, a man's voice, and there was instrumental accompaniment. He'd heard the song before, on a rather interesting karaoke night the Doctor had hosted in one of his attempts to cheer the cowboy up, and he managed to catch the last verse as he quickly but cautiously made his way towards the sound.

_Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio,_

_Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you._

He was very close to the music now, but all he saw was an old, tattered building with boarded windows, which he guessed by the long time expired neon sign that hung lopsided on the window it used to be a diner. Perhaps it was only an old record that hadn't been moved when the owners left….

_What's that you say, Mrs. Robinson._

_Jolting Joe has left and gone away,_

The song was coming to an end, and at that point Jedediah noticed the small opening in the door and squeezed through, and as he stood there in what he'd thought was an empty room, his gaze landed on a solitary woman sitting in a booth with a portable music player and a blue book of some sort on the table in front of her.

She had

_Hey, hey, hey_

_Hey, hey, hey_

With the song over, the woman picked up the device and flipped through it to a new song, but then deciding against it, cut it off and set it back down on the table and began writing in the book again. She had not noticed the tiny figure standing by the door that stood very still, watching her cautiously and wondering what he should do next.

Staring at the woman, she reminded him strangely of the Doctor. While he was in his quiet desolation, he would often hear tale of a time traveling woman whom the Doctor had a strong liking for, and had a habit of showing up just as she was needed. If this woman was the same one the Doctor spoke of, then she may be able to help him. But if she was not….Jedediah had no idea what to expect.

Suddenly, the woman looked up from her notebook, spotted the tiny cowboy, and a small smile shone on her face as she stared back.

"Well, it's about time." She said, rising from her seat and taking a step forwards. Jedediah, still uncertain, took a few steps back towards where he had entered, preparing to run if need be. "Now, don't run away," She said gently, bending down on one knee and watching him. "You're afraid now, aren't you?"

Still unsure, Jedediah gulped, and stared, slightly shaking as she knelt above him. "Y-Yes," He said feebly, feeling for the exit with his hand while not taking his eyes off the woman. "Wh-Who are you?"

The woman, her gaze soft and friendly, though a little mischievous, smiled down at him as she spoke. "I, am River Song."

"River Song," Jedediah repeated, thinking for a moment. The name was familiar, he'd heard the Doctor and the others mention that name before. Were the woman and this River Song the same person?

"Yes. And you must be Jedediah Smith, am I correct?" Asked the woman.

"Y-Yeah...how do ya know Miss River Song?" Jedediah replied.

"Please, just call me River," The woman said, still smiling. Then, her expression turned serious, and she looked a the tiny man in a way that slightly startled him. "I am...an ally of the Doctor's. We often work together, and I recently heard tell that he'd gotten himself into some trouble in this time period. Well, I'm not too surprised. That man could get himself into a dangerous situation in a room full of pillows and nothing technological whatsoever. And-"

"How?" The cowboy questioned, confusion on his face.

After a pause, River replied, "It's complicated. But I was informed of his situation, and knowing you were the last living person on earth, that you could lead me to him."

There was silence, in which Jedediah was trying to figure out how much he should say. He believed that this River Song was indeed the same woman the Doctor had spoken of. But now it was a problem of trust, and the general confusion of the situation, as well as the fact that she somehow knew his name. But he spoke all the same. "So, ya think I can take ya to the Doctor?" He asked, crossing his arms and holding his ground. Not that it did anything, he was just trying t make himself look tough.

"Yes, I do. I know you're also one of his allies, and a really close one at that." Replied River.

"How?"

"He tells me things, you know." She said, nodding towards the table where the music player had sat. A little buzzing noise came from it, and she stood, reaching for it and tapping on the screen and smiling. "Well," She said, stepping back to the little cowboy who still stood against the door. "It looks like the Doctor needs us now. Will you come along?"

Before Jedediah could answer, he was swept up into her hands and quickly, though gently, shoved into her purse as she walked out of the building. She pushed a small button on a bracelet she was wearing, and a flash of light later they were gone.


	8. Larry

Through the frantic crowd which he viewed from the safety of behind the tree, he could recognize nobody. He didn't recognize any of the exhibits, and in the frenzy he didn't even see any night guard. No Larry. No one. The exhibits that were running were all over the place, and after a few moments he noticed how they began disappearing. It was like something he had never seen before. Terrified, he stayed behind the tree until silence fell over the scene, and finally stepped out into the open.

There was nothing but burnt ashes, and mountains of rubble, and the bleary darkness of the sky, the stars blackened out, setting forth a mood of despair as the Roman scanned the wreckage. This was his home. And it was now gone. There were no exhibits in the area, except for the few poor souls who lay on the ground, in their own death-like state that was all too real of a threat to them all. Motionless statues, still, empty eyed wax figures, animals that lay frozen stiff, their once beating hearts stuffed now with cotton and their gazes transfixed on nothing in particular.

The fire still blazed. He kept a good distance away from it, watching as it burned away the last of his once beloved home. He explored cautiously the unlit wreckage, finding charred artifacts and dead, wax bodies of the exhibits everywhere he went. Then, from underneath a pile of ceiling tiles, he heard a soft groan, and hesitantly stepped forwards.

At first, he saw nothing. But then he felt his foot kick something dark and light, and reached down to touch the soft leather of a Stetson. Puzzledly, he picked it up, and examined it by the fire light. It was dark brown and slightly ragged with wear. He realized with a jolt that it was Jedediah's. When another soft groan met his ears, he turned slowly and looked around, clutching the garment in his hands as fear slowly gripped his heart. Surely the cowboy couldn't be here. He was with the Doctor. Had he missed something…..?

Just then, he spotted a figure lying nearby, and his eyes widened as recognition swept through him.

"Jedediah!" He cried, rushing forwards. He reached his friend and knelt down, just as his eyes opened with a jolt and he gasped into consciousness.

"H-Help…" Jedediah yelled weakly, trying to move but unable to as his legs were trapped beneath the pounds of rubble which had fallen on him.

"Jedediah! I am here!" The Roman said urgently, trying to push the wreckage off his friend.

"S-Somebody h-help…!" The cowboy screamed again, fighting against the weight that pinned him down.

"It is okay, I am here-"

"He can't hear you, Octavius," A voice said suddenly, from somewhere above him.

Octavius looked up, and saw the dark figure of a man standing above him. The voice was familiar, but he couldn't tell who it was. He turned back to his friend and continued trying to calm and comfort him, but his attempts were futile.

Again, the man spoke. "I'm so sorry. He can't hear you."

Indeed, when the cowboy's desperately pleading eyes landed on him, they were unseeing and he continued yelling, crying for help as the sun began to rise on the horizon. Octavius knew what happened next. He knew, and he looked away as the sun's rays stretched towards the struggling cowboy. There was a cry, and then, silence. He stood very still, refusing to look at what his friend had become- a small pile of dust on the ground. He felt an aching in his heart, but something told him not to mourn the loss, which made no sense to the poor Roman.

"It's okay," The man said, kneeling down on one knee. Octavius took the chance to look up, and what he found was almost as startling as the cowboy's sudden demise.

The man was old, not too old, but his hair was now grey and his face riddled with a few wrinkles around his smile line. He was still in good shape, surprisingly, and his uniform, old and tattered, still bore the marks of his authority. He was very there. He was very real. He was very...Larry.

"By the gods...Larry...?" He asked, stumbling a step back.

The old man smiled, a sad, but still cheerful smile, and lay his hand along the ground for the Roman to step on. He did so, hesitantly. "It's about time you came back," The old night guard said, raising his hand to eye level.

Octavius, a little confused, thought for a moment, trying to figure out what his old friend meant. "Have- how long, have I been gone?"

"Almost fifteen years," Larry replied, appearing to count under his breath.

"Fifteen...!"

The night guard nodded forlornly, and sighed. "We'd all thought you were dead. When that Doctor guy came back, he only had Jed with him, and he told us you'd been killed. We didn't expect you to come back."

For a moment Octavius was puzzled, then said slowly, cautiously, "I...I was dead...but I am alive...and I am no longer in the Underworld, so I must be living..." Then, another thought entered his mind, and he turned immediately towards where his friend had been sun struck, and said urgently. "What about Jedediah? Why did you not help him?"

A frown appeared on the night guard's face, and he sighed. "He wasn't really there, Octavius."

"B-But surely he has to have been...he was no where near here when I saw him last...he was in a big city, in the 5000s..."

Larry shook his head, and sighed again, turning to walk away with the Roman in his hand, obviously not wanting to discuss the question further. "You're supposed to be dead," He said simply, shrugging. "But you're here. And if there's one thing I've learned in all my years, you don't argue with a miracle."

"Wait," Octavius said, not wanting the conversation to end just yet. He wanted answers. "If Jedediah is not here, then who wasn that?"

"Jedediah." Larry answered, turning down a small road that lead to an old apartment complex.

"But you just said he was not here!"

"He isn't. But his image and memory are."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Octavius questioned.

Larry closed his eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply through his nose before speaking. "You saw how the museum was burning, right?"

Octavius nodded, and waited for the night guard to continue.

"It happened so many years ago..." He whispered, closing his eyes again. Octavius could feel him shiver, and patted his palm comfortingly, unsure and a little frightened about what was upsetting his old friend. "When we got the news of your death, it was like a sock in the face. The Doctor, the one who took you two away from me, said it had been Jedediah who'd killed you. I didn't believe it, but when Jed confirmed, I could never look at him the same way again. That Doctor, he offered to help us, but I refused. I never trusted him. After he left, Jed grew sullen and quiet. He never spoke, and he stayed in his exhibit. Years later, there was an invasion."

"Invasion?" Octavius questioned, hoping to get more answers. He needed to know what was happening.

"Yes. I don't know what they were, I still don't. But Kahmunrah led them. For over a month they ravaged the earth, killing everyone in their path. Myself and the exhibits held our own for a while, the museum protected by the Tablet. But there was something helping Kahmunrah. Something more powerful- the magic that guarded us for so long was ripped down, and they swarmed us from all sides...they killed everyone. Teddy, Attila, Dexter, Sacagawea...Kahmunrah took Ahkmenrah away...I don't know what happened to him...and Jed...he made sure of his death. I had to watch." There was a long pause, in which Larry put a hand over his eyes for a moment, and then said in a shaky voice. "He didn't kill me. He let me live. And as a punishment for everything- our resistance, beating him in DC, everything- he cursed me, so that everyday I may watch the museum burn, and everyday I may witness the final moments of those I cared for. It hurts, seeing this every day."

"If it hurts you so, why do you come?"

"I come, to keep my promise. I promised to forever guard this museum. And I failed. So I must suffer with the exhibits I have lost." There was another silence, and then Larry smiled slightly, looking down at the little Roman. "I guess it's a good thing I camed today. I have something else to believe in."


	9. Plan

"So, you have been here for how long?" Octavius asked, accepting the capful of tea the old night guard made.

"About six years. I found this place after they all left. It was busted and broken, but I repaired it." Larry replied, tapping the ladle on the side of the pot. He took a deep breath of the tea and smiled. "And I found this stuff at the store just down the street. It was buried under some boxes. I guess that's the good thing about being the only one. Unlimited supplies."

"But are you not lonely?" Octavius questioned, taking a sip from his tiny, makeshift cup.

Larry sighed, and leaned against the stove, his own drink in hand. "It is lonely. It's very lonely."

They were silent for a moment, and then Octavius glanced at the pictures hanging above the stove, on the old, cracked wall. In one of them was the image of a young boy, little more than thirteen, wearing a shirt with a dinosaur on it. It said "Museum of Natural History". He knew who it was.

"What happened to Nicky?" He asked quietly, looking up at the night guard.

Larry sighed again, and a sad look crossed his face. He quickly hid it, and took a deep breath. "He's dead." He said simply, before turning back to the stove, hiding his face from the Roman. He took a few breaths, and then turned around again. "So what about you? Where've you been?"

Octavius paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "As you had been led to believe, I was indeed dead."

"Jedediah did kill you, then?"

"Yes. He did. It was not his fault, though. He had been possessed. But that does not matter. I was dead and in the Underworld. Kahmunrah was there. He was….well, I suppose, though that news is not something either of us wish to hear."

Larry nodded, and the Roman continued.

"I was his servant. But then something happened. There was this….thing. I do not know what it was. It called itself 'The Intelligence'. It could speak. And it could read thoughts. It knew I wanted to go home. It told me that if I never told anyone of its existence then he would send me home…. But I guess he was lying."

The night guard frowned, and gently picked up the Roman, whose head was bowed. "But it's the museum…."

'It is not my home. This world, this….this place. It should not exist. You should not exist."

"I shouldn't?"

"No. You should not. This was never supposed to happen. We were never supposed to be here." Octavius turned to look through a nearby window, and pointed. "You see that, there?" He said, pointing to something in the distance. Larry nodded. "That is the remains of a Dalek. Were they what invaded?"

Larry nodded again, and moved closer to the window to see. "Yeah. It was."

"You said Kahmunrah brought an army with him. And he has been working with the Intelligence. What if…." His eyes brightened, and a curious look appeared on his face. "What if it was the Intelligence who gave Kahmunrah the Daleks….. What year is it?"

"2020."

"And what year did Kahmunrah attack you?"

"2015….." A look of realization appeared on Larry's face, and he looked down at the Roman in astonishment. "That's the same year you first left with the Doctor. But I thought you stopped him…."

"So did I. But I think some survived. The Daleks retreated, remember? And Kahmunrah swore he would be back for Jedediah. When I died I thought he was fulfilled, and maybe he would leave him alone. But he must not have been."

"I'm sorry, but I don't see where you're going with this."

The Roman sighed, and tried to explain it a different way. "2014 the Doctor comes. He takes Jedediah and I away. A few days later the Daleks invade. 2015 the Doctor takes us again. We do not return. While I was in the Underworld I noticed a large quantity of spirits coming in. More than usual. In the room which held the Intelligence, there were hundreds of spirits trapped within him. The year now is 2020. In your mind, I have been dead for six years, when in reality I have been dead for seven. All this happened when I was absent. Meaning,"

"There was no one here to stop them," Larry said, realization on his face. "If you were already dead then it would make sense for Kahmunrah to start searching for Jed. Since this is the future it's already happened. But while you were in the Underworld,"

"It was in the process of happening." Octavius finished, turning away from the window. "Meaning we can go back and stop it."

"But how?" Larry asked, looking at his quizzically. "We don't have a time machine."

"No, but the Intelligence must have sent me through something. And that something, was probably in the tree."

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"How dare he," Kahmunrah said, his hand clenched into a fist on the arm of his chair. "No, how dare you!"

"Easy, pharaoh." The Intelligence said, its voice calm. "He is of no harm."

"No harm!?" The Egyptian rose to his feet, and walked right up to the clear sphere. "Do you know who he is?"

"Of course I do. I know all."

"Then you know how dangerous he is! If he finds a way to get back to our time-"

"He won't," The Intelligence said soothingly. "I have his time set."

Kahmunrah looked up. "Explain."

"I knew he would do this. I know his history. He will try to go back through the portal."

"And he will succeed."

"Maybe. But if he does, he'll end up years into the future, well out of our way." The Intelligence said.

"Yes, except the time you have set just happens to be the same time the cowboy lives!" Kahmunrah shouted, throwing his hands up. "You stupid foolish-"

"Let me finish. I know he'll end up there. He'll meet the cowboy and the blond girl. That's where the implant comes in."

"Implant?"

"Yes. Implant. I put a tracking device in him while he was going through the portal. It will lead us right to him, and ultimately, the cowboy."

"And then what?" Kahmunrah asked, crossing his arms. "We just scoot through time and pick them up? I hope you haven't forgotten the domination."

"I haven't. When it's time, the implant will dispose of him. The cowboy will stay with him despite the warnings from the others. We will catch him. We will catch her. We will free the Doctor. He will come for them. We dispose of the Time Lord, come back to the present year, and complete the domination without fear of being stopped."

"Good plan." Kahmunrah said, smiling. "I cannot wait to put in effect."


	10. The Little One

"So where are we?" Jedediah asked, looking around at the metal surroundings. It had been strange, the purple and blue light of the time tunnel, and now the bright artificial lights were blaring in his eyes. But it was quite cozy in the woman's pocket, he had to admit that.

"We're in a cybership." River replied, pausing in front of a shiny piece of metal to fix her hair.

Jedediah couldn't help but stare at her reflection. She was beautiful…

"What are you looking at?" She said suddenly, glancing down. Jedediah tore his eyes from the mirror and looked down at the floor.

"Th-The….um…."

She smiled, and with a flick of her wrist pushed her hair back over her shoulder. "You're flirting, sweetie."

"I ain't!" Jedediah said quickly, blushing slightly. "I-I mean, don't get me wrong, you're beautiful, but I-I'm not…"

She smiled wider, and rubbed his hair with her finger. "I know what you're playing at. Sorry, sweetie. I'm already taken."

Jedediah frowned, a disappointed look on his face. "By who?"

River went to answer, but paused. "Wait this is a cybership...we shouldn't be on here…"

"Why not?" The cowboy asked, crossing his arms. "We might as well. It's better than being on that planet."

"Yes, but look around you. Cybership, Jedediah. It's a cybership. And cyberships should be full of cybermen…."

Jedediah gulped. "C-Cyber….men….?"

River nodded, and pulled out a stick of lipstick. She fiddled with the bottom of it and then pressed the tip to the handle of a door. There was a small beeping sound, and the lock popped, opening the door slowly. She stepped in slowly, looking around her at the empty room.

An empty room. There was not a thing in sight. Nothing.

"No cybermen." River said, a curious tone in her voice. "Now how about that? A cybership, with no cybermen."

"Ain't that a good thing?"

"Hm?"

"Ain't it a good thing there's no cybermen?" Jedediah asked, looking up.

"Well I suppose so. It means we'll live. But the downside is there's no way to get information. Unless..." River paused, running over to a futuristic computer.

"Unless?" Jedediah questioned.

"Unless they saved their data."

River put the lipstick to the screen, and it went from blank to on, displaying various files. She smiled as she typed something into the keyboard, and Jedediah struggled to make sense of the words.

"Right then, here we go," River said, pulling up a file. "Huh. It seems that this ship has been abandoned for quite some time."

"Why?" Jedediah asked, still staring at the screen.

"I don't know...ah. Here we go. According to this, an unknown power struck the ship, causing massive engine failure. The crew was forced to abandon ship, and it's been floating freely like this for a while. Quite interesting."

"Floating where?" Asked the tiny cowboy. "I mean, where are we, even?"

River looked down at her wristwatch and frowned. "We're in America, still. But hundreds of years in the past."

"Why here?"

"I don't know...hang on a second." There was a pause as River clicked on a flashing disc shaped figure on the side of the screen. "Now hold on what's this."

"What's what?"

"No...no that's not possible..."

"What's not possible?"

"There's no way..."

"There's no way what!? For cryin' out loud answer me!"

"River glanced down at the impatient cowboy before speaking. "There's an energy source. Just a few years ahead of us. Something's trying to travel along this same timeline."

"How's that possible?" Jedediah asked.

"I don't know...it's not supposed to be." She paused, then began typing again. "I might be able to latch on to the power source and grab it. It would be risky, but it might pull us out of wherever year we're in."

"And that does us good how?"

"I don't know, sweetie." River smiled, and laid her hand on a lever that protruded from the cyber control panel. "But it's worth the adventure."

She pulled the lever.

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"Are you sure this will work?" Larry asked, dropping the pile of metal at his feet.

"Careful!" Octavius said, jumping out of the way. "And yes, it should work. The Doctor said one time that Dalekanium could withstand time rifts and what not. All we have to do is build a casing around ourselves, and we should be able to go through the portal."

"Where will we end up?" Larry questioned, looking up at the swirling purple vortex just above them.

"If I am correct, we should end up in the Underworld. From there, we could travel up to the world again, to reality, and find the Doctor."

"I don't get how that will work," Larry said, raising his eyebrows. "I mean, it's the Underworld. The gate was broken ages ago."

"Did we not all think that? But there must be another way he goes through. He broke free with the Daleks, remember? And from what you told me happened the year I died, he did it again. He must have another way through to the surface." Octavius paused, then continued. "Once we find it, we can find the Doctor."

"How do you know he'll be there?"

The Roman was silent for a moment, then said in a soft voice. "I can...I can feel it. Now. We must build this quickly."

The day wore on as they struggled to build a time proof shelter. There were many things to take into consideration. For one, it had to be enough. Of course, Octavius wouldn't take up much room, being so tiny. But Larry was definitely bigger than he had been. He wasn't fat. So perhaps he'd grown taller? He didn't know. It also had to be safe. The Doctor had told Octavius how dangerous it was to travel through time without proper protection. Having your very existed ripped apart piece by piece sounded...well...painful. And neither man wanted to experience that.

At last, it was done. A fine looking vessel. In their eyes it was beautiful. To anyone else's, it would look like a trashy sphere of metal, held together simply with nails and duct tape. It was ugly, but it would do.

"Now what?" Larry asked, picking up the Roman.

"We go inside," Octavius instructed, pointing to the small opening.

It was just large enough for him to squeeze through, and the night guard sat with his knees against his chest, one arms sticking out of the hole, holding a length of rope attached to a stone. He tossed the stone up, and quickly retracted his arm, shoving a piece of Dalekanium over the hole and tapping it from the inside. When he felt they were lifting off the ground, his hand gripped the tiny Roman tightly, and he closed his eyes and prayed for success.

There was a jolt as the rope tugged the small capsule up and into the portal. It went fast, it must have been faster than the speed of sound, and accelerated faster still, pressing the night guard back into the makeshift contraption. He still held the tiny Roman, and could feel the little man's grip tighten on his thumb as it went faster still. Until suddenly, there was another jolt.

The sudden change in direction startled Larry, and he lost his grip on Octavius. The little Roman went flying forwards, hitting the Dalekanium shield hard. Larry tried to grasp him from the floor, but just missed him as the small shuttle turned upside down, throwing the Roman against the ceiling of it. Larry kept trying to catch him. When he finally caught him, the small capsule had stopped moving.

Larry, breathing hard, brushed his finger gently over the Roman's still form. He didn't look hurt, minus a small gash on his forehead that was bleeding just slightly. Larry said his name, and a small groan answered him in reply. He then reached out a hand to open the capsule. But there was a noise. He paused, and listened to the sound of something whiring outside. He paused as the lid shifted, and a blond head of curls peered in.

"Well, hello sweeties." Said a woman's voice. Larry looked up to see the woman was smiling, and quickly fixed his shirt, careful of the tiny Roman in his hand, who was beginning to stir.

"H-Hi," He said, scooting himself out of the cramped position quickly. The woman extended her hand and he gratefully took it, rising to his feet. He looked at her for a moment with a blank expression, then shook his head and spoke. "I'm sorry, who are you?" He asked.

"That can wait," The woman said quickly, swatting the air like she was swatting a bug away. "The important question is who are you, and what are you doing traveling through time and space in this silly little contraption?"

Larry thought for a moment, summing up the woman before him. He didn't see any weapons on her, nor did she seem threatening. But women had fooled him before, and he was taking no chances. "Why do you need to know?"

"I just do. It's part of my time traveler duty. Now who are you?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

Larry sighed. He was getting nowhere with this. "How about we take turns, answering each other's questions?"

The woman smiled, and shook her head. "Oh I don't work like that sweetie. I'm much more professional."

With another sigh Larry realized he was beat, and gave in. "Fine, fine. My name is Larry. I'm a night guard from Earth. This is my friend Octavius."

When he showed her the tiny Roman the woman's eyes lit up, and before Larry could react she grabbed him. The night guard went to grab him back, but the woman put her hand up in defense. She was staring intently down at the tiny thing, which was trembling in slight fear in her palm. "You didn't tell me you had one too," She said to Larry, still looking at the tiny creature.

"Um...yeah..." Larry replied, looking confused.

The woman's head shot up. "You must come. Quickly."

Larry had no choice but to follow the strange woman down a metal lines hall, wondering just what she had meant.


	11. Reunion

Larry stared about him uncomfortably, the shiny, silver surroundings somewhat menacing to his old mind. Time, space, ships, all this madness reminded him of the Doctor and for a moment he let a bitterness fill him. The Doctor was the cause of the museum's destruction. Of his friends' deaths. And now he was somewhere in a timestream, with a strange woman, on a strange vessel. He couldn't help but get the feeling that something bad was going to happen. He'd only just gained back Octavius. He didn't want to lose him too. As he thought about the Roman, he glanced at the woman's hands, to reassure himself that his small friend was safe. He was.

"So, now that we're walking and things seem a bit more settled, can you tell me who you are?" He asked, keeping pace beside her as they reached the end of the tunnel.

"Of course. So sorry about the delay. I'm Professor River Song. But you can call me River. And you, I assume, are a night guard."

Larry, somewhat baffled, nodded. "That's right. How did you know?"

She gestured to his old and raggedy uniform. "It's kind of obvious. And this little cutie here is one of your exhibits yes?"

Larry nodded again. "How do you know that?"

"Well, as I've told you, I have a little one with me here. Little cowboy. Jedediah, he calls himself." River paused when she saw the surprised, gaping looks on her new accomplices' faces. "You know him, then?"

Larry nodded slowly, a faraway look in his eyes. "Yes..."

"He is alright, right? He is not hurt, is he?" Octavius asked, his words flustered and frenzied as he looked up in disbelief.

"Nope. Not hurt. A but lost, yes, but alright. He seems to have been missed."

"You cannot imagine." The Roman said, letting out a small sigh of relief.

Larry was still silent. He was speechless. All those years. All that time. All those nights of seeing him die. And he was alive. He was okay. He was happy, yes, but it was so sudden and strange...

"How?" He asked, looking at River. "How is he alive?"

River shrugged, looking a little confused. She then pushed a button and a door opened. She stepped in. "Jedediah, come here. There are people here you need to see."

A small head peered from just over the rim of a purse, and blue eyes lit up with too many emotions to count. The cowboy leapt off the control panel, landing safely on River's shoe, before running over to the taller figure. Larry, who had taken Octavius back a moment before, bent down on his knees, staring. All three of them were frozen, unsure of how to react. Octavius spoke first.

"Jedediah?" He asked, climbing off the night guard's palm. He stood very still, suddenly unsure how to proceed. He wanted to run to him, to show him he was really there and it wasn't a trick of the mind. He refrained, and tried again. "Jedediah?"

So many thoughts were going through the cowboy's head, he didn't know what to do. So many things he wanted to say; _Why did you leave me? Where did you go? How did you come back? _But none of that mattered, he knew. But he couldn't shake the feeling that it was some cruel trick of the mind.

"River?" He asked softly, his eyes not leaving the dark brown ones before him.

"Yes, sweetie?" She replied quietly, bending down to hear him better.

"Is...is that a Roman, in front of us?"

River smiled, and gave him a gentle nudge. "It is, sweetie."

Without another moment's pause Jedediah ran forward, colliding with his long lost, and dearly missed, friend. He hugged him tightly, refusing to admit that he was trembling slightly, his mind in overdrive as everything suddenly changed.

"Hush now, it is alright." Octavius whispered softly, hugging his friend back. "It is alright now, I am here."

The cowboy, who was at a loss for words, just stood, shaking his head as if in disbelief. After he was sure his friend was settled from the shock, Octavius pulled away, and held him at arm's length. The cowboy was smiling, and he shook his head, closing his eyes, then opening them again, the relief quite evident in them. He finally spoke.

"Octavius...Ockie..." He shook his head again, still in the grip of disbelief.

Octavius smiled. "Yes, Jedediah?"

The cowboy hugged him again, just to reassure himself it was not a dream. It wasn't.

"Ockie, please don't ever leave me like that again..."

"Never."

Jedediah nodded once, smiling again, then turned to Larry, who still looked dumbfounded at the sight.

"Gigantor? What're you doing here?"

The old night guard just stood, gazing down. He then reached towards the cowboy, and gently picked him up, holding him at eye level. Jedediah smiled nervously, suddenly getting the feeling he'd done something wrong. Larry spoke.

"Jed...is it you? Really you?"

"It is..."

Larry still stared, but then hugged the little cowboy against him, sighing. River smiled.

"I see you three haven't met in a while." She said.

"Longer than a while," Larry whispered, still holding the cowboy. "It's been years."

"I can see that." River replied still smiling. She then turned serious. "But we should finish our little reunion later. We have to find the Doctor."

"The Doctor." Larry hissed, his voice tainted with venom as he said the name.

Jedediah grew uncomfortable, and scooted to the edge of the night guard's hand.

"The...Doctor!"

"Gigantor...?"

"What about the Doctor?" River asked, narrowing her eyes.

"What about him? What about him! IT'S HIS FAULT! HE TOOK MY EXHIBITS AWAY FROM ME!" Larry yelled, his eyes full of rage.

"Gigantor, we chose to go-"

"No! He took you! He took both of you! He took Octavius and you away from me! Away from home! It's his fault you all died!"

"Died?" Jedediah asked, confused. He caught Octavius' eye and the Roman shook his head. He gulped. "Please put down..."

Larry took a deep breath, and fell heavily into a chair. Jedediah went over to Octavius, who was silent, and River quietly piloted the ship, thinking quietly to herself.


	12. Hatred

Jedediah sat looking silently out the window at the stars. He held in his hands a tiny cup, which he'd fashioned out of a piece of some foil-like substance, which held some flavored water River gave him. He sighed and cast a glance over his shoulder at the chair Larry sat in, looking so old and tired. After everyone had met, Larry had decided to just sit and ignore the situation, almost as if he was purposefully trying to forget something. Just what the cowboy didn't know.

"Jedediah?" Came Octavius' voice form behind him.

"What?" Jedediah replied, without turning around.

The Roman slowly made his way over to his friend, casting a swift glance at Larry before sitting down.

"You sound angry," He commented, looking at the cowboy out of the corner of his eye."Why?"

"I'm tired." Replied Jedediah simply, looking down to his cup. "That's all."

"Ah," Octavius said, nodding once. "You are a grump when you are tired. Striking fear into many hearts if one disturbs you."

The cowboy punched the tunic sleeved shoulder, before allowing himself a small chuckle. It was good to have Octavius back. Still, though, there was so much he wanted to say….

"So, why are you upset?" Octavius asked after a while.

Jedediah sighed, and looked at the sleeping form of Larry.

"First thing's first." He said. "What's happened? To Gigantor?"

The Roman was silent. He didn't know how much he could say. How much he should say. How much he would say. It might not be safe for his friend to know all he had seen. It could strike a fear into his heart, or start some paradox or something. When traveling with the Doctor, such things were almost a daily.

"He...lost, some things."

"Like?" Jedediah questioned further. When Octavius didn't answer, he leaned in closer to him, looking into his eyes. Those dark brown eyes which held so much of so many things. The eyes that he could feel when looked at, and he felt safe in their gaze. But right now, the eyes he had grown to trust were haunted.

Octavius sighed deeply, folding his hands in his lap.

"When I died," He began, taking a deep breath. "When I died, I ended up in the Underworld."

Jedediah gasped, and went to speak, but was silenced when the Roman raised his hand.

"I know what you are going to say. It was not your fault. please, do not say it was. Taking the blame shall not help us now." Once he was sure his friend would be silent, he continued. "Kahmunrah was there. He took me. I was forced to work for him. At first I disobeyed. I would rather die than work for that villainous barbarian. But I was already dead, so I felt it would not matter. But, I was wrong." Octavius paused, and looked up at the cowboy. "He has something powerful on his side. More powerful than the Daleks. More powerful than the TARDIS. More powerful,I fear, than the Tablet."

Jedediah couldn't help but shiver at the wave of fear that swept through him. "More powerful than the Tablet?

"I was tired, Jedediah. Tired of being forced to work for , I attempted to rebel. That is when I found out what he was capable of. He has a device, a power, a...thing, with its own consciousness, that he can use to completely erase people, animals, any living thing from ever existing."

"Any...anything?" Jedediah asked, with a tremble in his voice.

Octavius nodded wearily.

"It is called, The Great Intelligence. I met it, while trapped. I saw Kahmunrah talking to it. Planning with it. I snuck into the chamber it was held in after Kahmunrah left. There were souls, Jedediah, _souls, _swirling about it. On the walls, trapped in an endless circle. Men, women, children, animals! All of them! All of them…"

Octavius shook for a moment, not speaking until Jedediah gently put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"I...I do not know for sure, but I recognized some of them. Some of the spirits. When I entered it knew who I was...it knew what I wanted."

"What did you want?" Jedediah asked.

"To go home. To our own time line. To the museum. To you. It...it made me make a deal."

The cowboy stiffened, his eyes narrowing but worry evident.

"What did you offer him, Octavius?" He said sternly. "What did you agree to?"

The Roman was silent for a moment, before looking down at his hands. "I swore to say nothing if he would let me go home."

Jedediah let out an exasperated sigh, and rose to his feet. "Idiot…._idiot!_" He yelled, throwing down his hat. He looked at Octavius with fierce anger sprung from fear. "You just _told _me everything! What will he do to you now!? What if he hurts you!" The cowboy grabbed the two ends of his cape. "WHAT IF HE TAKES YOU AWAY AGAIN!?"

"Jedediah, please!" Octavius yelled back, grasping his friend's arms. "You must calm down!"

"How!? How can I calm down?" Jedediah hissed.

"Jedediah listen. I do not believe he can hear me. I know we are safe for the time being. Now please! There is more you must know."

Jedediah took a deep breath, releasing his hold on his friend's cape. He took a shaky step back, looking down at his feet.

"'M sorry, Ockie…"

"No." Octavius said, putting both hands on the cowboy's shoulders. "I am sorry."

"Jus' don't wanna lose you again…."

"And you will not. Now listen. I have more to say."

Jedediah nodded and sat down, Octavius following.

"He kept his word and sent me back. Or so, I thought. Instead of sending me to our home, he sent me to what our future will be."

"Our...future?" Jedediah asked, glancing up. "Is it good?"

Octavius shook his head slowly. "No. It is far, far from good. I felt like I was home. But then I turned around. The museum. It was...it was burning. Burning down. All of the exhibits...all of the ones I cared for...they were all dead. All of humanity was dead.l The whole world, it seemed, was silent. There was no one left." The Roman turned to look at his friend, a solemn expression on his face, concealing his sadness. "I went into the wreckage. To look for someone. Anyone. Anyone who was still alive. I found you. You were trapped under the debris. The sun was rising. You were trapped by Kahmunrah. I tried to save you, Jedediah. I tried to help you but you did not see me there. And then...and then the sun rose…"

"Ockie…" Jedediah whispered, trying to sound comforting. He gave his friend a small hug. "None of that happened." He said, offering a small smile of reassurance. But on the inside, the fear he had felt when their conversation began had grown.

"But it will." Octavius insisted, his eyes shadowed with doubt. "It will happen if we do not stop Kahmunrah and the Intelligence."

"What can we do?" Jedediah sighed, rubbing his weary eyes. "We're just two miniatures, a woman and an old man."

"We need the Doctor." Octavius said. "We need to find him. He will know what to do. He always knows."

"But Gigantor don't seem ta' want the Doctor around." Jedediah pointed out, looking at the night guard. "Why is that?"

Octavius sighed, and rubbed his weary eyes. "When I was at the museum, Larry was the only one left. He was the one who told me I could not help you. He hates the Doctor now. He blames him for taking us away. For causing us to die. He blamed him for my death, for yours, and for all the exhibits." The Roman lowered his voice. "Nicky died in the invasion, and Ahkmenrah was taken away by Kahmunrah. He lost everyone. And he blamed the Doctor."

"So...all of us...all of humanity...will die?" Jedediah asked, gulping. "Oc-Ockie…?"

"I fear so." Octavius whispered, looking out at the stars. "We can only hope."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"The portal to the Overworld is ready." Kahmunrah said, smiling wickedly.

"Good, pharaoh. It is almost time to begin."

"Right. And, the Doctor?"

The Intelligence was silent for a moment, before speaking. "His time is up."


	13. Keep Going

"Here we are," River said, smiling as she piloted the ship into a secluded landing bay.

Octavius looked out the window in amazement, his worry turning to curiosity at the sight. It was a rocky planet. Dark, with only a small speck of a sun on the horizon. There were cracks in most of the rocks, which flowed with red, molten rock.

"A volcanic planet?" He asked turning to River.

She nodded. "I would assume so, considering the giant volcano over that way."

Octavius turned to look in the direction she indicated, and heard Jedediah let out a low whistle as he spotted the mountain.

"That's a big one." He said.

River cut off the power to the ship, and pulled something out of her bag which made the two miniature's eyes widen in surprise.

"The….Tablet….?" Octavius asked, raising an eyebrow.

River smiled. "I nabbed it a little bit ago. On a recent adventure."

"How?" Jedediah questioned, looking just as surprised.

"Spoilers." River said, grinning widely. "Now then, let's get you grown."

"Grown?" Jedediah asked, frowning. "You're...gonna make us big?"

"Well yeah. It would be stupid to run in there with no backup but an old, grouchy man."

Larry, who was now awake, crossed his arms and glared from the chair he sat in.

"No." He said, his voice stern. "You're not resizing them. They're not going out there."

"Now, Sir, I really need-"

"No!" Larry yelled, jumping to his feet. He scooped up the two miniatures, and held them close. "I won't let you. I can't let anything happen to them."

"We need to save the Doctor." River said, reaching for the two.

Larry backed away, anger in his eyes. "Why should we help him? He's the reason I lost them in the first place!"

"Larry," Octavius whispered softly.

Larry looked down at the Roman, the rage leaving his eyes. Octavius looked at Jedediah, then continued.

"Larry, we must do this. I know how much you hate the Doctor. But he is the only one who can save us. You must let us do this. I _want _to do this. And I know Jedediah does as well."

The cowboy nodded. Larry sighed with defeat, and set them down on the floor.

"Alright." He said. "But be careful, please."

"We will." Octavius promised. He then looked at River. "You understand how the Tablet works?"

River shrugged, smiled, and pushed one of the pieces. "Can't be too hard."

Within a moment's time the two miniatures began to glow with golden light. They felt air whoosh around them, and the slight pinching sensation of stretching. They blinked, then looked down at themselves, full sized again.

"Ow…" Jedediah said, stretching his back. "Resizin's a little painful."

Octavius nodded, shaking his head to relieve the dizziness. He looked at Larry and saw him sigh, his head bowed. He went to speak, thought better of it, and cleared his throat instead.

"We should get moving." He said, turning to River. "The Doctor needs us and we have not much time."

River nodded, and slipped the Tablet back into her bag. "Let's go."

Jedediah stuck close to Octavius and Larry as they left the ship behind, and stepped out onto the surface of the planet. There was air to breath, but it was tinted with smoke and the sickly scent of sulfur, which caused them all to cringe at first, before they became use to it. It was also rather cold, the small sun giving little heat, and even less light. The only light they could see by was given from the cracks in the ground, which also gave off a little warmth to the shivering group.

"Are you sure this is the right planet?" Larry asked, pulling his frayed and faded night guard uniform tighter around himself.

"It's got to be." River said, continuing forward. "I always know where he is."

"So, who's the Doctor to you?" Asked Larry after a few more steps.

River was quiet for a moment. "He's my husband."

Larry turned to look at her quickly. "What?"

"I know." River said, smirking slightly. "It's surprising."

"You must...you must not like me, for hating him." Larry said sheepishly, looking at his feet in shame. "He just took so much from me…"

"He does that, sometimes." River said quietly, almost reminiscent. "He takes a lot. From many people. But he never means to. It just...happens. But, no matter how much he takes, he always gives back twice as much."

"I see," Larry said, having no response. He then coughed, and pointed to the volcano in the distance. "That doesn't look real."

River frowned. "How so?"

"I worked in a museum. Believe me, I can tell a display from a mile away. It's made of fiberglass and boiled up PlayDough or something."

"No, it's real lava." River said, scanning the liquid substance. "And it's not fiberglass. It's stone. But you are right about one thing; it's fake."

"If it is fake," Octavius said thoughtfully, looking at the mountain. "Then it must be man or creature made. And if it is, there is a good chance that the Doctor is in there."

"With our enemies." Jedediah added, fixing his Stetson firmly on his head.

"Maybe we can sneak in." River suggested, studying the structure. "Yeah, we can sneak in no problem. It doesn't look guarded."

"Neither did the last place we went in." Jedediah muttered to Octavius, who nodded understandingly.

Without another pause, River led the way to the base of the volcano. The heat was intense here, and the once shivering travelers now sweated profusely as they reached an open passageway in the side of the mountain.

"Through here," River instructed, leading them inside.

The heat was even stronger here, and the air was thick was gasses and the baking temperature. But Octavius felt something more. A strange tingling in his brain. An almost anxious, nervous feeling, which both frightened and compelled him to continue forwards. He tried to stop his feet from walking, but he was pushed on from behind by Jedediah, who was unaware of what his friend was feeling.

"This must be the main tunnel." River said as they reached the end of the passage. She paused, and looked around, before frowning. "Strange," She said, her frown deepening."There's no one here."

"No one?" Larry frowned as well, peering out into the hall. "There has to be someone here."

"You'd think a place holdin' the Doctor would have some sorta protection. I mean, it's the Doctor." Jedediah said, his hands on his hips as he surveyed their surroundings. "What'dya think, Ockie?" He paused, then frowned when his friend didn't respond. "Ockie?" He asked again, turning to the Roman. "Octavius…? You alright, buddy?"

"Y-Yeah…" Octavius stammered, the tingling feeling becoming almost unbearable. "I-I am fine."

"You sure?" Jedediah asked worriedly, taking a step towards him. "Ya don't look good…"

Octavius went to reply, but was cut off by a searing pain in his head as an electric shock pulsed through it. He cried out and sank to his knees, grasping his head tightly in his hands. He heard Jedediah shout in surprise, and felt his presence beside him as he trembled, his head wracked in pain, which he felt spreading throughout his body, making him numb.

"Octavius! Octavius look at me!" Jedediah yelled, shaking the Roman frantically.

Fear gripped his heart when no response came, and he gently helped his friend into a laying position, careful to support his head. The Roman was gasping, as if he couldn't breath, and his eyes were wild with fear and pain. Jedediah looked at River for help, and she hurriedly ran over to them.

"Is he okay?" Jedediah asked frantically. "Tell me he's okay!"

"I-I don't know-"

"Octavius!" Jedediah yelled again, shaking him even harder.

"I-I-I c-c-cannot m-m-move!" Octavius managed to gasp, losing feeling in his whole body.

Panic filled Jedediah's eyes, and he hugged his Roman friend tightly, daring whatever it was harming him to make itself known. He looked down when he felt Octavius weakly move an arm, swatting at his ear.

"S-S-Something…" He muttered, his eyes losing focus. "In m-my ear…"

"Let me see," River said gently, also beside the Roman.

She gently moved his hand, and winced.

"Cyber chip." She said, poking at the tiny bit of metal implanted in his ear. He winced and groaned slightly.

"It must've been put there by the Intelligence." Jedediah said, exchanging a glance with River. He bit down his panic, and tried to speak as calmly as possible. "Wh-What do we do?"

"Well," River said, gently stroking Octavius' head. "It's too dangerous to move him. And we need to go on. You might have to leave him-"

"No." Jedediah said firmly, shoving her hand away from his friend. "We're _not _leaving him."

"Jed," River spoke, her voice commanding. "Can I call you Jed? I suppose I will. We need to go. And quickly. We have to leave him here. There's no time."

"But...I can't…" Jedediah whispered, once again hugging his friend. "I can't. I can't leave him."

"Jed, I'll stay here and try to help him. That might be the only way-"

"I said no, River!" Jedediah snapped, anger blazing in his eyes. "I'm not going anywhere! I'm not-"

"Jedediah…" Octavius whispered softly, looking blearily at him from half closed eyes.

Jedediah looked down at his friend, momentarily pausing in his protests.

"Jedediah, listen to R-River-"

"I don't wanna!" Jedediah yelled, blinking rapidly to clear his teary eyes. He shook his head. "I don't wanna leave you!"

"Jedediah, you must. The Doctor needs-"

"I don't care about the Doctor!" The cowboy snapped. "I don't care! You're more important than any ol' Time Lord!"

"Jedediah-"

"I CAN'T LOSE YOU AGAIN!"

Everyone was silent, looking at each other or the ground as the cowboy took a deep breath to still his trembling shoulders.

"I can't lose you again." He repeated softer, bowing his head. "It hurt when I lost you the first time. It'll hurt more if I lose you now."

Octavius raised a shaky hand, and weakly rubbed his friend's shoulder. "I will not be lost. I will be here, waiting for you to return in triumph to me when this is through."

"And what if I can't?" Jedediah asked quietly, refusing to meet his gaze. "What if I fail 'gain and you die?"

"You will not fail." Octavius whispered. "You must go."

"Jed," River said, reaching to touch his other shoulder. "I'll stay here and look after him. You go."

"And I'll go with you." Larry pipped up, coming up on the cowboy's side. "I owe it to you. Both of you."

"But…"

Jedediah was silent, looking from River to Larry, then from Larry to Octavius. They needed him to do the right thing. They needed him to defeat Kahmunrah one last time. To beat the Intelligence. To defend their future.

With a heavy heart, Jedediah let out a weary sigh and rose to his feet.

"I'll go." He finally agreed. He looked at Otavius. "Ya better be here when I get back."

"I will be." Octavius whispered, smiling weakly.

Jedediah nodded, then turned as River spoke.

"You'll need this," She said handing him her sonic lipstick. "It'll lead you to the Doctor."

Jedediah nodded again, and turned to face Larry, who had just finished tying up his boots for the next leg of their adventure.

"Ready?" Jedediah asked, keen to get moving.

Larry nodded. "And you?"

Jedediah paused, looking down at his feet before answering. "I'm...I'm ready."

"Jedediah," Octavius whispered, looking up at him. He waited until the cowboy was listening. "Do it not for the Doctor. Do it for me."

Jedediah nodded once, held his friend's gaze one last time, gathered the strength and hope gathered in his eyes, and left on with Larry, hoping he could find the strength to what he knew he must.


End file.
